Redemption of a Shadowhunter
by AspiringWriterGirl
Summary: She is the daughter of Jace and Clary. She is the one who bring about 'The New Dawn'. She will die at the hands of a friend. She will have been visited by the angel Sariel in her dreams and she will learn what it means to be a Herondale.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love from The Mortal Instruments, although I do take ownership over the new characters

A/N: Now this takes places years later, and is pretty much a 'next generation' style of story (they seem to be my speciality!) Obviously for the eagle eyed fans, there are a few discrepancies and moments where I diverge from what was decided previously, but don't forget to review!

**Chapter 01**

Natalie Herondale tossed and turned, embroiled by the dream she was experiencing. It was a recurring dream that left her waking up in a sweat. A dream that felt like it had meaning. A meaning that she could not decipher, but this time, it was more vivid.

The man dressed in white, leading her to a bridge, and then a church. Apparently, the building was her destiny.

"No!" Natalie yelped, diving out of the bed and opening the window of the apartment she lived with her mother in. "Not again… Not again."

The dreams had been plaguing her mind and didn't seem to be letting up at all.

She fired off a text to Ivy, a family friend who was always there to lend an empathetic ear. Even in the early hours of the morning. Hanging her head out of the window, Natalie run her hands through her auburn hair and inhaled deeply. Feeling the air fill her lungs.

"Looks like the dreamcatcher didn't do the trick, Ivy…" Natalie mumbled, her fingers grazing the feathers hanging below.

Eventually it was the early hours of the morning and having sat on her bed for hours to avoid falling asleep and enduring another dream, Natalie was determined to get out of the house. She quickly threw on some running clothes and snuck out the house, careful to not wake her mother.

Stretching on the sidewalk, Natalie set out on a run, allowing her mind to choose the route. When she had lost the amount of left and right turns, she paused by a small park where she noticed a familiar building.

"From my dream…" Natalie mumbled, feeling a sense of overwhelming doom that this building was her 'destiny'.

Instead of entering the building, she ran from it. Her trainers pounded the pavement with such a speed and ferocity. Dipping between the tall buildings, Natalie felt a stitch forming in her side. She focused on the brick wall in front of her, counting each individual red rectangle until the pain died down. There was no doubt in her mind that she was going to have to talk to someone about the dreams, because Ivy just wasn't cutting it.

-o-

On returning home, Natalie found her mother, Clary, bent over a small canvas on the table. Clary looked up and smiled at the teen. "I was beginning to wonder where you had gotten to."

Natalie nodded. "Yeah, I was kept up most of the morning…"

"More bad dreams?" Clary pulled her hair to one side, dropping it in front of her shoulder.

The youngster didn't really know what to do or say. "Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about that, at our usual spot."

"I'll get the hot cocoa…" Clary replied with a warm smile. She was thankful that her seventeen year old daughter was about to open up to her. It was clear that something was bothering Natalie and hopefully it was all about to be in the open.

Natalie perched on the fire escape stairway, hugging her arms around her knees.

"Cocoa?"

Natalie smiled weakly, taking the steaming mug from Clary. "I don't really know how to say this," she started, realising that her mom was waiting for her to finish and not interrupting. "Does the name, Sariel mean anything to you?"

"Sounds… angelic?"

"Well the name keeps coming up in dreams. In the dream, I'm being lead around by this Sariel who took me to a building. He told me that the building was my destiny. It's like a church in a park… With a little pavilion next to it." Natalie cupped her hands around the hot mug. "I know this all sounds crazy, but I just don't know what it means."

Clary pursed her lips, looking down the quiet street at the cars taking people various places. "I don't know either. But I do know that you're going to be fine either way. You have me, and you'll always have your father."

Natalie tilted her head to lean on Clary's shoulder. "I know what I want to do for my birthday."

"Yeah? You've been so quiet about that that I didn't think you even wanted to celebrate it. So what do you want to do?"

"I think I want to get a tattoo - like the one you have on the inside of your wrist and the ones Dad has. Something to tie us all together."

Clary felt a lump in her throat as she started to trace the curve, loop and curve of the tattoo on the inside of her wrist. Whilst it was meaningful, she knew that there was so much more beneath the surface. "Family is special. I only wish it could have been a love rune- tattoo."

"I said I'd catch up with Dad today... Are you going to be okay?"

The mother rubbed her daughter's arm tenderly. "You could freshen up, I'll be fine."

Once Natalie had disappeared inside, Clary exhaled, leaning back slightly. It had been a tough time for her recently with her marriage breaking down and having to support her daughter both financially and emotionally. But the money had been gradually drying up. The art festivals and galleries were busy, but sponsors and dealers were taking a look in other directions. It was starting to dawn on Clary that it would not be long until they would have to leave New York. Even if Natalie's family was there.

-o-

Natalie was stood at the outskirts of Battery Park. She was stood at the southern tip of the city, looking out at the Statue of Liberty. The ferries and water taxis were gliding along on their way past her. There was a freezing wind was blowing through her hair and gently numbing her toes through the black boots she was wearing.

"Natalie."

"Dad!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her dad.

Jace Herondale.

He squeezed his daughter tightly, glad to be seeing her. "How have you been? Tell me everything."

Natalie pursed her lips momentarily. "I don't want to talk about it- I want to hear about Aunt Izzy... and Uncle Alec... It has been years since I last saw them."

Jace nodded slowly. "They are good. Very busy with work and-" He paused when he saw something moving through the park at great speed towards them.

"What was that?" Natalie asked, noticing that something had caught his eye. "Did you see it too?"

He turned to face her, running a hand through his hair. "You need to tell me what you saw."

"I can't explain it, Dad. I don't want to either, because when I start doing that, I'll believe that it's real and not all in my head." She gripped the sleeves of Jace's jacket. "I'm not mad... I'm not mad..."

"I know you're not. But I need you to stay here. Stay right here and I will be right back. Promise me you'll stay here."

Natalie nodded, indicating that she would stay put as she lowered herself to a nearby bench.

-o-

After Jace had sent word to Izzy that the lone demon had been vanquished, there was another report of a demon present near Battery Park. Knowing Natalie may have been in danger, Jace sprinted back the way he came.

But the bench was empty.

Natalie was gone and all that was left of her was a small pocket mirror that must have slipped from her pocket.

He called Izzy, who was concerned by the sudden call.

"Jace?" she asked hastily.

Looking around frantically, Jace momentarily forgot about the phone pressed to his ear. "Izzy, they've take Natalie."

"Then we need to find her- and quick."

**Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Now I know that there are a lot of unanswered questions over the existing characters, but I wanted to leave Clary in the dark about the Shadowhunter World- just for a moment though, don't worry! I've loved writing this story so don't forget to review – more Lightwood descendants are coming!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love from The Mortal Instruments, although I do take ownership over the new characters

A/N: Who knows where Natalie is now? I love writing this story and have loads of chapters

**Chapter 02**

Jace looked around Battery park frantically, trying to sense where Natalie was. It was at times like this where he wished that there was a parent-child equivalent of a parabatai bond. He ran through the small park and darted across the road, avoiding the queueing cars that were so close to one another, they might have been stacked up.

The presence of demons had been low in the city over the past months, which had put the New York Institute on edge. Fears and murmurs of a greater force striking began to rise from within the downworld. To catch a glimpse of any demon point had to have been symbolic of what was in store for the future.

Something was coming.

But what?

-o-

Natalie came to in a dark room. There was a stale scent in the air, like when food is left to decay over time. The room itself was small, with a door at one end and a dirty thin window at the other. It was up at the top of the wall, touching the ceiling. As Natalie stood up to leave the room, she discovered that a dark set of cuffs had been locked onto her wrists. Feeding the chain from the cuffs through her hands, she found the metal loop on the wall that was restricted her movement. Not even a few sharps tugs were not enough to break free.

"Hello?" Natalie called out, pulling on the chain as she leaned towards the door in the hope that someone might hear her.

_Look for something to help get the cuffs off or get you of here, _Natalie thought, forcing herself to remain positive when all she wanted to do was curl up and cry. With no idea of why she had been kidnapped, it was a worrying ordeal. Images of the next week's newspaper articles would talk of the disappearance of Natalie Herondale.

Natalie patted her jacket down, realizing that her kidnapper had taken the contents. Her mobile phone, metro card and apartment keys. She rolled her head back.

"That would have been too easy, wouldn't it?" Natalie mumbled defeatedly, slumping down on the dusty floor. For a moment, she endured the negative thoughts and shook her head. "No, we have to get out of here. You have to get out. Think... Think."

The door was out of reach, so Natalie turned her attention over to the window. The chains hanging on her wrists were growing heavier and heavier due to exhaustion of trying to get free. Pushing an old scratched steel table towards the window, Natalie climbed up onto it. The surface of the window was dirty, giving the illusion of mystery over where the building was.

Pairs of moving stripes passed occasionally, meaning it was on the roadside. With a sidewalk. The light was coming from the right, signalling a sun setting in the west and Natalie was facing south. Sound was the next thing that Natalie moved on in identifying where she was. Inhaling sharply, she ignored the sick feeling from the dirty smell and focused hard. What did it remind her of – old food, sewage, possibly industrial cookers?

Natalie clicked her fingers in a 'Eureka' moment declaring, "Hell's Kitchen."

There was movement coming from the other side of the door and in the panic, Natalie tipped over a shelving unit next to the door. It clattered to floor, catching the door handle and snapping it clean off. An aggressive thumping motion continued as something tried to force its way into the room. Whatever was on the other of the door was not speaking which only worried Natalie more. A lightheaded sensation made Natalie stumble into the table, climbing up to the window again.

"Help me! Hey! Help!" she screeched helplessly, repeatedly slamming her splayed hands against the dirty glass.

But no one heard or stopped to investigate.

The door flew off its hinges, slamming into the wall beside Natalie. The teenager screamed at the impact before her eyes focused on the person in the doorway. A man. With slick back brown hair and a stubbly jaw, he stood up straight like they had a pole shoved up their back.

"Natalie Herondale, we've been looking for you," he said with a dark and sinister tone to his voice.

"Stay back!" Natalie stammered, holding up her fists.

The man scoffed, chuckling loudly. "Come with me. Now." The sternness behind the word 'now' made it seem like there was a schedule he was trying to keep.

"Not until you tell me why I'm here."

The man stormed towards her, looming over her. "I don't believe you are in a position to make demands, little girl. Now I said, come with me."

"I would, but I am chained up, in case you hadn't noticed!" Natalie retaliated with a smug sarcasm.

"If I were you, I'd start paying attention. There's no handcuffs on your wrists or a chain on the wall."

Natalie dropped her gaze to her wrists and saw that he was right. The cuffs and metal chains were gone. "Who are you and how did you do that?" she asked shakily, following him slowly out of the room.

"I am known by many names, but you can call me Glenn. Glenn… Castleford."

The pause Glenn made before saying his surname made it seem almost made up. He paced quickly along the dimly lit corridor with the thin heel of his boot scrapping an offbeat rhythm.

"Why am I here?" Natalie asked, stopping in the corridor. "Because I'm not taking another step until you tell me."

The lights began to flicker and buzz, a nearby Metro train scuttling along underground. Very few other noises but Glenn and Natalie's breathing. Glenn strode back towards Natalie, wrapping his hand swiftly around her hair and sharply pulling her close. His brown eyes narrowed before a sly smile crept across his face.

"You really don't know…" Glenn mumbled. "Natalie Herondale, you are a very special girl. I am a part of a group of people that need your help. Whether you give that help willingly or not, is relevant." He pushed Natalie down the corridor, herding her like a lost lamb.

There was a looming sense of doom and danger that made Natalie made the decision to fight against Glenn and not go down without a fight. She lunged towards him, pushing him hard in the chest. Caught off guard, Glenn staggered back, tripping over his own feet.

Natalie ran towards him, jumping high into the air and nearly missing her footing when she landed. Her heart raced as she flew down the corridor. At the end of the passage, Natalie took her chances on a staircase that spiralled up above her. Taking the stairs two at a time, Natalie was sure she could hear the quickened steps of Glenn Castleford following her.

"You cannot outrun me, Natalie!" Glenn's voice echoed in the stairwell.

A sturdy door stood between Natalie and the outside world. Expecting it to be her way out, Natalie crashed into the door which remained solid and locked. The girl hit the floor and bounced back, grabbing the door handle in despair.

"No. No, no- open please!" she whimpered, jerking the handle and swinging her weight towards the door repeatedly. "Don't come near me!"

"Or what?" Glenn asked, appearing at the top of the stairs. He swept his long coat aside. "You'll hurt me? Are you going to summon heavenly fire?"

Whilst Natalie had no idea what heavenly fire was, it was clear to her that it was a powerful substance. She nodded, holding up her hand.

"Oh, careful now – that's a dangerous move there, Herondale."

Out of the corner of her eye, Natalie noticed a thin blade jam its way through the doorframe just beside the handle. She screamed out, hoping to catch Glenn off guard again, stepping forwards and away from the door. A gust of wind blew in from behind her, ruffling her long hair and stifling the screech.

"No!" Glenn shouted, vaulting over the bannister and disappearing from sight as a group of strong looking men and women stormed through the now unlocked door. At first Natalie panicked, not knowing if they were on the same side. They held onto lightly glowing sharp blades with ancient symbols carved in them near the hilt and barged past Natalie, forcing her to herself against the wall by the open door as her breathing fluctuated in distress.

"Natalie!" Jace exclaimed, throwing his arms around her, cradling the back of her head with one hand. "I thought I'd lost you. But it's alright now. It's alright."

Natalie squirmed under her father's grip before relaxing and burying her face into his shoulder. "Dad- I was so scared…" She paused, looking over Jace's shoulder at the outside world and letting out a short whimper. "The whole time I kept wondering, why me?"

"I know Natalie. I know."

Natalie fidgeted, pulling away for Jace. "I don't understand! What's going on? None of this makes any sense!" She gripped the sleeve of her father's jacket tightly, trying to make sense of everything.

The facial muscles in his face went into overdrive as he tried to figure out an answer. "I wish there was an honest answer I could give you, but I'm not sure you're ready to hear it." He guided her out of the building, quickly leading her away to safety. "We'll talk later."

Natalie felt utterly discombobulated – the sun she had seen through the dingy window hadn't been setting. It was rising. It had clearly been more than a couple of hours since she was taken. "How long was I gone?"

"A day, but we had parties searching for you the whole time," Jace started to walk down the street towards the centre of town. "Come on Natalie. Let's take you home. I told your mum you'd be back soon."

Natalie froze in the middle of the pavement as a jogger dodged around her. She knew there was something her dad was hiding and he wasn't going to give the answers so easily. His hand needed to be forced.

Folding her arms, she tried to stand firm despite her shaking legs. "I need to know the truth, Dad. Because I don't know what's going on? I don't know what to believe anymore..."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"I don't think I have a choice. I can't _not _know."

-o-

Natalie was stood at the bottom of the steps that led up to the church Sariel had walked her by in so many dreams. "But it's just a church, Dad?" She smiled, looking over at a now frowning Jace standing beside her.

"It might be, but there's sometimes more to buildings than just their exteriors. It's what is inside that counts."

A young woman wearing a black outfit with a chocolate brown leather jacket walked past them and up the stairs, saying, "Hi Jace…" with a familiarity that was unsettling.

Jace sighed, sitting down on the top step and patting the space beside him. "You're going to want to sit down for this."

The warning was warranted. Natalie sat on the step and hugged her knees as her father started to carefully explain that it was a demon that had kidnapped her. A bad one at that, falling into a family known as the downworlders. Whilst Jace spoke of vampires, werewolves and faes, It was apparent that these were not your run of the mill, classic fairytale characters. She learnt that the people Jace was with were Shadowhunters – he was one of them too, and they tracked the demon that took Natalie to the building in Hell's Kitchen where Natalie was being held.

Jace told his daughter that nearly their whole family were Shadowhunters, which was met with confused utterances at how no one ever told the truth. Everything that Natalie knew about the Lightwood family was a lie. Alec wasn't some business executive working for a big firm that caused him to travel between New York and Los Angeles. Her aunt was not part of a product design company. The bigger shock was that Natalie had three cousins.

"Three!" she exclaimed angrily, gawping at Jace. "This whole time… I thought I was alone and had no one. Now I find out that I have three cousins."

The pause made Jace think his daughter was about to rip his head off with her bare hands.

Natalie forgot about the overload of information and let her mouth run wild. "Tell me about them then? Are they younger than me- older than me? Do you they know about the shadowworld? Wait- if Aunt Izzy and Uncle Alec have kids, then that means that I have other aunts and uncles and if so, then this crazy and almost too much at the same time. How come I've never met them and-" She stop sharp and was out of breath.

"Izzy isn't strictly married to him- his name's Eric, but they have twins a little bit older than you. Ruby and Harvey. Good kids, though very different personalities." Jace smiled, remembering how much he had originally wanted to introduce Natalie to this side of his world. "And Alec is married to a warlock named Magnus Bane. They adopted a baby a few years before you were born- Evangelina who is a law unto herself."

"A warlock? Wow. And oh." Natalie stood up slowly. "Why did no one tell me- why did you all hide it? All those family events… They just seem so fake and forced now I know."

Jace stepped forwards, putting himself beside her. "We all decided that for your own protection, your mother's too, that you weren't to be exposed to this world." He turned away and extended a hand to the building behind them.

He told her that this building was a Shadowhunter headquarters. Known as the New York Institute. He stopped himself from continuing. Whilst he wanted nothing more than to bond with his daughter over it, Jace worried that it might be too much to take on so quickly.

"So what do I do now, Dad?" asked Natalie, trying to sound braver than she felt. Ignoring the pain in the back of her head from all the added knowledge in her brain.

"What do your instincts tell you?" Jace smiled half-heartedly.

"That if Glenn Castleford is going to need my help for something dark, I should at least learn to defend myself," she looked up at the church, reminding herself that it was going to be greatly significant in the future. "Would it be alright to have a look inside?"

-o-

Inside, Natalie was in awe at the interior, because it was nothing like she expected. There were two large men at either side of the door that Jace mumbled something to before putting an arm around Natalie, a protective hand squeezed her shoulder.

The people they walked past had similar matching tattoos to Jace, it was like they were symbolic.

Jace caught notice of his daughter taking them in on the exposed skin and said, "They're runes."

"Runes?" Natalie didn't look away from the woman standing by a large table with a holographic projection of the city in front of her. At the back of her neck, there was a 'rune' like the one on her father's arm and the inside of her mother's wrist. "The runes are the same… Are they symbolic for Shadowhunters?"

Jace nodded, smiling across the room at Eric Rosedove. "You could say that… Eric, allow me to introduce you to-"

Eric stood firm and tall in front of Jace and Natalie. "Natalie Herondale. You must be Clary's daughter – you don't get that hair and those eyes from anyone else."

"Eric is the head of the institute here."

Eric chuckled, shaking his head and running a hand through his sandy coloured, "Along with my better half, Izzy."

Natalie's mouth hung open in shock. "You're my uncle- Uncle Eric? Dad didn't mention that you and Aunt Izzy run this place." Knowing a woman being in charge of this newfound organization was somewhat inspiring to Natalie.

"She's a smart one Jace," Eric replied sarcastically. "I'm surprised she's yours really, but what I want to know is what the Demons suddenly want with her." He started to pace around Natalie, his dark eyes inspecting her closely. "What has piqued their interest all of a sudden?"

She turned around to face Eric. "I can answer that, sort of. There is a group of people who need me, or my help. They will do it against my will if it comes to that." Natalie pursed her lips, deep in thought. "Does the name Glenn Castleford mean anything to you?"

Eric's nose twitched as he tried to withhold the truth.

"You do know that name. Who is he?" Natalie noticed that their conversation was garnering attention from the surrounding Shadowhunters. "I don't need you to send someone to protect me, I need you to be honest with me."

"Jace, a word please. In private." Eric jerked his head to a corner of the room, indicating a corridor. "And it's not a suggestion either."

Once the two men were out of sight, Natalie tried to turn her attention towards the projection of New York. The woman caught wind of the snooping teen and reduced the image. A sarcastic eye roll from the teen followed.

There was another watching her. A young boy, who was probably only a year or two older than Natalie. He was sat at the base of a few metallic steps. He had dark brown hair and light-coloured eyes that gave him a piercing stare. In his left hand, he held onto a small curved dagger, pressing the tip into his finger.

"Wolfcrest!" a younger man with blonde hair and blue eyes shouted. "Ms. Lightwood is waiting for you in the training room, Flynn. Now hop to it."

The boy named Flynn sighed, walking past Natalie muttering, "You're nothing but a dirty mundane…"

"Who are you calling a mundane?" Natalie snapped, knowing that the word in itself must have different connotations to what she knew it to be.

He glanced over his shoulder, giving her a look that said, 'you don't know what you're talking about.'

That's when it really hit Natalie square in the face.

This little Herondale knew barely anything about the world she was walking into.

**Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = So who is this Glenn Castleford character and how does he fit into this world?**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love from The Mortal Instruments, although I do take ownership over the new characters

A/N: Natalie is aware of the Shadowhunter world, but what will she make of this newfound life?

**Chapter 03 **

The daughter of Jace Herondale moved to one side of the room like a shrunken violet. Feeling out of place in the institute, Natalie wished for the walls would open up and swallow her whole. She stood nervously with her back pressed up to the wall as she watched the room of Shadowhunters. There were a couple of people who noticed her but didn't look her in the eye or speak with her.

"Natalie," Jace said walking towards her with Eric trailing behind. "Me and Eric want to talk to you properly."

No matter what response Natalie tried to say, she knew the outcome would not be worth the satisfaction of saying them. A part of her felt that if what everyone was saying was true, then she was going to have to adapt to this new world. The lies about her extended family were initially hurtful, but it made Natalie think about the family orientated events she might now actually be a part of.

"Fine, but I'm still mad at you for lying about _my_ family." She pushed away from the wall, trying to appear brave and strong despite the doubt poking her inside. "You're not going to send me away from New York, are you? To some fancy far away land where I'll be forced to live in complete isolation?"

"No," Jace replied shaking his head. "Not yet… And that far away land is called Idris – so you know for next time. Why don't we go somewhere more private?"

Natalie followed behind Jace and Eric, keeping her gaze fixed on the carpet underfoot. It had multiple shades of red, blue and creams, reminding her of the Persian rugs she saw on holiday in Europe years ago. Eric opened a polished dark wood door and ushered the two Herondales into the office.

"Now, I know Izzy would like to weigh in on this, but she is currently training Flynn Wolfcrest. He's quite the fighter, almost as good as you, Jace." Eric's voice was calm, but almost pretentious and an inexcusable hint of a west coast accent. "Natalie, take a seat." He indicated the chair opposite the one he lowered himself to. "Whilst this may seem like a lot for you to take on – learning about the Institute and what your father's family does, we need to be realistic about the future. We have to make a decision on what we do about you."

'What we do about you.' The words made Natalie gripped the arms of her seat, anxiously tracing the carvings of the wood with her finger. This man was supposed to be a part of the extension to her family but the expected warmth towards her just wasn't there. It wasn't likely to appear either.

"You can't send me away. I don't want to go. New York is my home and if you send me away, I'll fight to come home. I'll run away and I won't stop 'til I'm back home."

Eric frowned at Jace. Clearly their original plan was being slowly torn in half. "It seems she's as stubborn as you and Clarissa. I'm sorry Natalie, you're not safe here. Idris is the safest place for you to go." He briefly paused, enough to take back the opening for Natalie to speak by adding, "And your uncle Alec would be there to look after you when he's not working."

"I won't leave Mom," Natalie replied defiantly. "What if- what if the demons come after her because they can't find me? There must be another way, there has to be!" Her eyes widened and she scoured the room for inspiration of a new idea. "A bodyguard. You can assign a hunter to be my bodyguard."

The word bodyguard left a sour taste in her mouth. It wasn't something that Natalie wanted, but she could consider it if it ensured she could stay in New York.

"You're asking to be given a babysitter?" Jace questioned. "Years ago we were lucky if you would allow us to leave you with one."

"Yes, but this is different, Dad." Natalie didn't acknowledge either of the two men's reactions. "You know, maybe it would have been better if I had just given Glenn Castleford what he wanted. Then it wouldn't matter what I did now." In the rush of the argument, she stood up and headed for the door.

"Natalie, if you walk out the door, we can't help you," Eric shouted when he saw the girl's hand around the doorknob.

If she had been in a cartoon, there would have been a red line coursing its way up Natalie's body until it spewed out hot steam from her ears. Her hand let go and she turned back. "I'm not one of your soldiers yet, Mr Rosedove. When I am, then-"

Jace put a strong hand on his daughter's shoulder, strongly urging her to fall silent. "Eric. Perhaps we should allocate someone to shadow her? If Glenn Castleford is a follower, then we need to be prepared."

A gush of wind opened the door and a piece of parchment paper somersaulted through the air, across the office. Eric snatched it from the air, inspecting the edges of the scorched paper.

"It seems word of Miss Herondale's presence in the Institute has made it to our brothers and sisters." Eric smiled falsely. "It appears I have been summoned. You'll be the Clave's problem unless we act fast."

Natalie was still trying to fathom how the flying piece or burnt paper had just come in from wherever it was. "Where did that come from and what did it say?" she asked, ignoring the hand pushing her out the door.

"Let me walk you both out."

-o-

Ushered out of the building, Jace and Natalie stood at the top of the stairs. They looked up at the pink-tinted sky that was peering through the trees at them. A lone black raven flew low across the park, settling on the railing of a nearby gate. It eyed up the youngster, making Jace a touch nervous.

"Come on Natalie, let's get out of here," he said calmly, watching the bird closely.

"Dad…" Natalie whispered, looking up at the nearest tree to see it was filled with ravens. "They're watching us, and I'm getting a really bad feeling you're about to say these aren't ordinary ravens."

One caw was all it took. Like a battle cry signalling an airstrike. Natalie doubled over, cowering as she expected to feel the pecking beaks and scratching claws of the murder. The cawing sharply ceased, and a gentle heat began to surround them.

"Well, well, well. Jace Herondale finally introduces little Nattie to the Shadowhunter family. Izzy will be pleased about this…"

Natalie looked up to see a man standing behind them. He had dark hair styled in a neat quiff with a thin streak of white running from the front to the back in an off-centre position. Their eyes were lined with a soft black charcoal colour, making her think this man was not afraid to stand out from the crowd and speak his mind. He was different. Mysterious like the Shadowhunters, but still different.

"What are you?" Natalie asked, tilting her head curiously.

"I believe the term you're looking for is warlock." The man smiled falsely at Jace.

"Warlocks exist too!?" She turned to Jace. "Why didn't you say anything about this? This is insane! I can't believe that I now live in a word with magic and fairies!"

Magnus admired her enthusiasm. "Perhaps you'd like to properly introduce us, O' brother-in-law?"

Before Jace could properly introduce the pair, Natalie added to her tirade as she saw the pieces falling into place. "You're Magnus, aren't you? You're married to my uncle. Alec Lightwood. I guess I should say, it's nice to meet you… _Uncle _Magnus?"

"Yes, it is nice to meet me." Magnus nodded. "Perhaps we should discuss things somewhere more private? I've learned some new tricks." He held out his hands, extending them to the two Herondales, showing off a fresh set of darkly painted nails.

Natalie took his hand, feeling immediately safe in his grasp. A whirling sensation hit and closed her eyes as a torrent of wind tugged at her loose hair. Her stomach flipped until she was thrown back, landing hard on a plush deep purple sofa. "I feel sick," she muttered weakly, the colour draining from her cheeks.

"Portaling does have that effect." Magnus plucked a leather book off a nearby shelf before calling out. "Evangelina, I thought I said no visitors! Send the little mundane on his way now..."

The girl named Evangelina screamed angrily, "I can't believe how embarrassing you can be Dad, and even when I'm supposed to be an adult now! Come on!"

If it weren't for the argument between Magnus and Evangelina, Natalie would have enthusiastically introduced herself to her older cousin but knew that it was not the time or place. In her head, Natalie tried to envisage what she might look like and create a history describing where she came from. The adopted daughter of a warlock and a Shadowhunter. Maybe she had dark brown curly hair and olive toned skin, or maybe she had platinum white hair and grey eyes?

Magnus laughed nervously, trying to keep up appearances in front of Jace. "Children… If only dummies and play-pens were as effective at this age as they were back, then." He flicked through the book in his hands, stopping suddenly at a certain page. "This should answer some of your questions, Natalie." Magnus let the book float into the air, trying not to showboat, but when you find someone like Natalie who has never experienced magic, it's hard not to.

Even with the book open in front of her, she didn't start reading. Instead, she looked up at Magnus and Jace. "Why doesn't Mom talk about this part of her life?"

There was silence in the room, only lifted by the sound of the main door shutting and a bedroom door slamming shortly after.

Magnus went to speak, but Jace put a hand on the warlock's shoulder, gently passing by so that he could crouch down in front of his teenage daughter. For years, Jace had wanted to be honest with Natalie about the demons and Shadowhunters, but knew the risks outweighed the selfish desire to tell her. So to be looking at an opportunity to knit the pieces of his family together, it was daunting.

"There was… A lot of things happened all those years ago and a lot of people- no, the angels, were upset by what Clary- what your Mom did. Creating new or forgotten runes in order to defeat the darkness. Your Mom made the ultimate sacrifice to save us all. By way of punishment, the angels took away the memories of that part of her life."

"But how did she find you again?"

"I think because love's a powerful thing…" Jace mumbled, brushing a strand of fiery red hair behind Natalie's ear. "I need you to promise me that you won't talk to her about this."

"Well, I have to talk to her about it. She has to know where I will be and what I'll be doing. Why would you ask me to lie to Mom, Dad? I don't want to add more to your web of lies."

"The information could be enough for… for…"

Natalie could see where the sentence was going. "For us to lose Mom altogether?" She dropped her gaze to the words of the book, scanning the lines. "There must be another way. Magnus, can't you use some kind of protection spell on her? Block the memories and introduce it as something new?" She felt utterly helpless, her head jerking to look between Magnus and Jace.

When neither of them said anything, it was clear the answer was no. Distressed, Natalie headed for the glass doors that went out onto a balcony for some fresh air. The skyline across the way was so uniform and the twinkling lights rippled off the river below. A lone tear dropped from her cheek, staining the dark stone wall with an almost perfect circle. The wind added a chill to the air and picked up the dead leaves from the fallen plants nearby.

A whisper was in the air.

"You can't hide from us. You can't hide from me."

"You don't scare me…" Natalie whispered, scanning the horizon slowly. "I'll be ready for you one day."

-o-

Going back to school that week made Natalie constantly check over her shoulder, looking out for any danger. She nearly screamed when Ivy pounced on her by their lockers before school. During last period, she was asked to write something up on the board in Maths, Natalie found herself momentarily perplexed by a boy outside standing in an alleyway opposite the school.

She guessed he was taller than her, but his face was covered by the hood of the jacket he was wearing. He had broad shoulders that made him look like he could rip out of his jacket like the Incredible Hulk. The distance obscured the finer features of his face, like hair and eye colour. As the boy leant against the wall with his arms crossed, it was clear he was watching someone, or waiting for something. His arms were folded like he didn't want to be there. The black leather pouch hanging close to his hip concealed a small blade familiar to Natalie. The boy was a Shadowhunter.

_Is this really their idea of a minder?_ Natalie thought, listening to the bell sound off, signalling the end of the day. _He's not very subtle._

Ivy grabbed Natalie on her way out of the school gates. "What was with you in class? You kept staring out the window like you were watching someone, but when I looked there was nothing there." Ivy tossed her light brown hair back, adjusting her silk scarf slightly. "And don't lie to me either. I've known you long enough to know when you're lying."

Natalie scanned the empty alleyway across the road. "Nothing. I have to go now. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

The boy was gone. Nowhere to be seen, but it didn't mean he wasn't still nearby, watching. Stalking. If Ivy hadn't seen him when she looked out of the window, then it meant he had the ability to almost go invisible. She remembered her father calling it something like a glamour, which reminded her of a book Natalie read about vampires. The thought of being able to conceal things from others' eyes was enough to scare Natalie and make her feel sick to the stomach.

Ivy stuttered to find her words, blurting out, "But I- no, it's not okay!" Before being knocked by fellow students passing by. "Nat!"

The Herondale girl sped through the city, weaving through the streets in the direction of the New York Institute, regretting how she had chosen to wear pretty boots rather than comfy sneakers to school. Striding up the steps to the New York Institute, Natalie swung the door open.

Immediately, she was set upon and restrained by two large Shadowhunters. They were dressed all in black and had the same rune on their bodies. One on the collar bone and the other had it on his hand. A Z shaped marking with a curved line and two dots.

Natalie wriggled, kicking at the air in an effort to break free. "Hey! Let me go!"

"Okay, let's not get too carried away boys. That's my niece you're hanging onto. She will have the necessary clearly in due course, so for now- you can let her go." Izzy came out of the elevators wearing a sleek black dress with a flattering V neck collar. Her hair fell to one side, showing off the rune on her neck. "Natalie, what brings you here again?"

"That boy," Natalie gasped, wrenching her arms from the tight grip. "You sent him to follow me and I don't want it like this. I've- I've changed my mind; I want to learn to fight. I don't want a bodyguard to stalk me at school. I don't need someone to mind me."

Izzy smiled. "Is that right? If you want. Well, come on little Herondale – looks like Auntie Izzy has a new task at hand."

She gestured for Natalie to follow and led her to the training room of the Institute which would hopefully be empty from distractions. There was something so inspiring about Izzy. The poise the lady held herself with spoke of her strength and determination to get through whatever challenge was thrown at her.

The training room was unusually empty and brightly lit from suspended light. Along the back wall, there was an array of training and exercise equipment that had been left abandoned in a small cluster. A messy cluster Eric would not be happy about. Eager to start teaching Natalie, Izzy pulled out a long shelf displaying a variety of different weapons.

"These are some Seraph weapons. Each Shadowhunter has to choose a weapon to fight with. If you really are serious about joining the Institute, then you'll need proper training."

Natalie's fingers grazed the leather-bound hilt of one of the blades, moving onto the axe weapons and javelin spears. There were too many to choose from that she stepped back away from the rack. How could a simple decision have such a big impact?

Izzy was concerned, watching the teen's behaviour closely. "Why are you worried, Natalie?"

"I'm not worried, I just- this is a lot to learn about really fast." Natalie could feel a pulsating feeling in her head as she endured the rush of emotions and let her mouth do the talking, rather than pre-determine her answer. "Aunt Izzie, two days ago I didn't know any of this even existed. Now people are telling me my dad and the family fight demons with glowing blades and fanciful rune tattoos that you use a glowing pen to draw on?" She pivoted on her toes, looking around the room, losing herself in the ornate ceiling above her. "Why me? What's so special about me?"

"Natalie. You're the daughter of a Herondale and a Fairchild. It's in your blood to do this. It would be in your best interest to learn – but you'll need to learn fast." Izzy picked up one of the blades, holding it in her weaker hand to be fair. "Pick one."

The Lightwood waited, prepared to receive the first strike from Natalie. Izzy felt herself thrown back in time to when she was stood in front of Clary practicing in the same room and many years later when she first trained Ruby.

"I don't know, Aunt Izzy." Natalie could feel the woman's stern gaze on her and knew it wasn't going to go away. "Okay…" She was immediately drawn to the seraph blade with the leather strap that had been wound around the handle.

It felt light to hold, and as though it was meant to be held in her hands. The rough leather grip made it comfortable and made Natalie feel primed and ready. Instinctively, she rolled her wrist around, spinning the blade in a perfect, concentric circle.

"Woah," Natalie said, caught off guard by the motion and the way the weapon felt so right in her hands. "Are you sure you want me to just attack you? It's not exactly usual behaviour."

Natalie frowned at her aunt, reacting when she nodded sharply. She let out a grunt like tennis players on the TV as she swung the blade at Izzy. It clanged loudly against its opponent, bouncing back and fighting to strike again. The impact made Natalie step back a little, noting the smile on her aunt's face. The swings that followed were uncalibrated and clumsy, with Natalie using her anger and focused on how helpless she felt when Glenn Castleford held her captive.

Outside of the training room, Eric could hear the fighting and stifled weak grunts and strode up to the door to see who was avidly training. The intrigue melted away to disappointment. His eyes widened at the sight of Natalie Herondale battling against his partner.

"Isabelle Lightwood!" he barked angrily, throwing open the glass door. "I thought I made it quite clear Miss Herondale was not to be encouraged within my Institute."

The volume and aggression caused Natalie to drop the blade. She knew Eric was holding something against her, which made her angry because he barely knew the type of person she was or what she was capable.

Izzy immediately stopped and held the seraph blade to one side. "Our institute, Eric." She put a nurturing hand on Natalie's shoulder, adding, "Would you leave us to talk?"

When they were alone, Izzy sighed, pushing the weapons shelf shut and holding her hands over the handles. Whilst she and Eric had been together for many years, they had faced countless disagreements and opposing management styles. The hardest one being the decision to not marry him, believing she didn't need a piece of paper or the Marriage rune to prove that they loved one another.

"Eric… You might have decided Natalie was not to be encouraged, but your sisters cannot play the puppeteer anymore. If the demon worshippers really want to resurrect Lucifer, then Natalie needs to be prepared. The only way that is going to happen is if she is taught to protect herself. It's not fair for Wolfcrest to be pinned to her like a babysitter. He doesn't want to and she doesn't need it either. They'll tear each other apart if it continues."

Eric struggled to argue with Izzy, especially when she was managing to keep such a stern and frozen expression. "Iz… Wolfcrest is always after an opportunity to prove himself a worthy Shadowhunter- and he is a valuable asset to us. But if that girl is the one the Iron Sisters warned us of, then I cannot afford to allow her to unlock the unspeakable potential." He went to caress Izzy's cheek, but she caught his hand quickly. "Iz-"

"No Eric." She shook her head, releasing Eric's wrist. "Natalie needs us, and we need her. There's no way I'm going to turn my back on my niece."

"She's not your blood."

"Neither is Evangelina, yet you and I still call her family." Izzy calmly walked out of the training room and scanned around for Natalie who was nowhere to be seen m. "Did you see the girl leave here?" she asked a nearby Shadowhunter who shrugged their shoulders and pointed at the exit.

Rather than follow Natalie, Izzy left it, knowing the teen would need some space to process the new knowledge. The Lightwood began to wonder how differently things might have been if Clary still had her memories. The images flicking through Izzy's imagination brought a tear to her eye.

-o-

Shivering from the cold evening, Natalie took a shortcut by passing along the back alley of a row of restaurants. The aromas of various cuisines filled the air. Spice and herby scents wafted through open windows and the scraping of pots and pan shifting position on the cooker made Natalie wonder what it would be like to work in such a fast-paced environment.

The walk had given her time to mull everything over. The recent events had made her feel like she was in a tightly sealed box with no escape. Whenever she tried to see the positive in the situation, it was constantly overshadowed by the lies her 'family' had told. Natalie wondered what it might be like when she found herself face to face with one of her three cousins. The thought of knowing someone is your family when you haven't ever met them in your entire life was daunting.

"Natalie…" She heard a whisper in her ear, making her whip around, half expecting to see Glenn Castleford standing there watching her.

The whistle in the wind calmed her nerves as she carried on walking, but a shadow darted in front of her, making her run in a panicked frenzy. It felt like a nightmare – being chased down a dark street that's empty of life and smoke is billowing out from a nearby air vent. The vision-obscuring smoke clogging up the air as she runs down the alleyway.

A large creature bounded out in front of Natalie and she squealed, tripping over as she tried to change direction quickly. Through the thin veil of smoke, it looked like a bony human scuttling around on all fours with a gloopy wet looking skin that dripped thick splodges onto the paved floor. The creature snarled, flashing razor-sharp teeth at Natalie as she struggled to shuffle backwards. Her elbows were skinned on the hard gravel as it advanced closer.

Natalie knew exactly what it was – a demon.

The demon clamped one claw over Natalie's ankle making her howl in pain as it dug a nail in. There was no pain like it that Natalie had ever experienced before – not even when she fell off of a climbing frame in elementary school and cracked her head open. As she was being dragged away, Natalie twisted and turned, flailing with both arms as she struggled to catch hold of something to stop the creature. A loose pipe just missed her fingertips.

"No!" Natalie shouted angrily, clawing at a bin she passed, knocking it over and spilling its rotten contents.

"Watch out!" a voice yelled, with just enough time for Natalie to lie flat and freeze.

A glowing dagger flew through the air, striking the demon's face. It bounded up in the air, pouncing onto the walls and stumbling up the fire escape, climbing it like a spider with its limbs moving in unison.

"You were lucky we were passing by, half breed."

Natalie seethed with anger at the derogatory term but chose not to react because of the pain in her leg. She gritted her teeth and ignored the pair that were standing behind her. She didn't care. Sitting up slowly, she leaned forward over her ankle. Painful twinges spasmed up the leg with every millimetre of movement. The process of getting up onto her feet was agonizing and resulting in Natalie slamming into the nearby wall.

"Flynn, help the girl for God's sake." Flynn's companion, a girl close to Natalie's age, frowned at him. "She's just been attacked by a Kogmoroth demon." She waited and then let out an exasperated sigh. "Come on little bird, let's get you home."

Natalie's eyes focused on the other girl rushing to her side. She was taller and had a slender frame. The clothes she wore clung to every curve and dip of her body. Her long straight black hair that had been styled in a neat half-up, half-down fashion. A slick swipe of crimson lipstick and long lashes gave her the impression of a femme fatale – someone Natalie did not want to get on the wrong side of.

As for her companion - Natalie knew him. Flynn was the Wolfcrest boy whom Eric and Izzy had mentioned previously. The one that had been following her and watching from a distance. Natalie tried to focus on his face, but her vision blurred, masking him.

"Ruby, leave her – let the demon come back for her…" Flynn mumbled heartlessly, kicking aside the upturned bin aside.

"Flynn!" Ruby called out as Natalie's head rolled back and she collapsed.

**Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = I must admit, it is tricky trying to balance introducing this new life to Natalie, but I hope I'm doing it right!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love from The Mortal Instruments/Shadowhunters, although I do take ownership over the new characters

A/N: Let's hope it's not too long until Natalie gets a stele and trains to be a Shadowhunter 😊

Chapter 04

Alerts and sirens were popping up on the screens throughout the Institute. Shadowhunters were darting about, quickly leaving the building to deal with the demon incursion.

"Message received from Ruby and Flynn – there's a Kogmoroth demon lurking about the rooftops in the west."

The main doors to the New York Institute opened and Flynn strode in carrying a limp body in his arms with Ruby following close behind. The Shadowhunters on duty turned to look at the daughter of the co-heads, but Ruby was used to the scrutiny she was under as a result of being related to Isabelle Lightwood and Eric Rosedove. If anything, it made her more determined to stand apart and be judged as an individual and not as a member of a family. She also found comfort in her twin brother Harvey who was always there for her, even listening to her hour-long rants.

When no one nearby moved to help her, Ruby pulled Flynn to one side, down a wide corridor that led to the infirmary, they passed Izzy on the way and the interrogation began immediately.

Ruby pushed Flynn on ahead. "Mum, we need to make sure that she is okay first. With Harvey out of action, Flynn came with me on patrol. That's when we heard a scream and found the baby Kogmoroth almost taking a chunk out of her ankle. If it hadn't been for Flynn, I wouldn't have known who she was."

"And it's not every day I get to tell Rubes that this is her long-lost cousin, is it?" Flynn jibed, taunting Ruby into reacting. "The look on her face Izzy, it was priceless- though I am surprised that I found out before she did."

Ruby swallowed hard, trying not to dawn on the sudden revelation or give Flynn the satisfaction. "Yeah. That was a little bit of a surprise, but if she really is my baby cousin, someone's got to look out for her."

Izzy nodded in confirmation, telling her that they would talk about everything later. She followed Ruby and Flynn into the infirmary. At the far end, Ruby's twin brother Harvey lay unconscious, hooked up to medical equipment to monitor his vitals. The rhythmic heart monitor beating with every paired pump of his heart. Natalie had been placed on the bed beside him. The mother of the twins squeezed her daughter's shoulders reassuringly.

A Shadowhunter doctor was brought in quickly to inspect the wounds. When he was finished, he looked at the co-head of the Institute with tired eyes. "We're going to need a Warlock for this one. Not even the strongest medicines from Alicante will be enough to heal this wound. I suspect there's some demon essence that needs to be extracted."

Natalie blinked rapidly in her bed, howling suddenly, arching her back and kicking out. Long spidery black veins started to sprout from the claw mark. The excruciating pain was bringing Natalie to tears.

Izzy rushed closer trying to soothe the teenager. "Ruby, send for Magnus, now!"

Ruby sprinted through the corridor and into the main control room of the Institute, approaching an abandoned screen and swiping her fingers over the surface to send a distress beacon to the High Warlock of Brooklyn. She waited, tapping her foot impatiently, willing an imminent response to her message.

"Come on Maggie..." she whispered, referring to her uncle with a playful nickname as when Ruby was a child. She couldn't say Magnus properly so had to settle on Maggie instead. It did make things seem slightly more normal when she referred to them as Alec and Maggie. It helped when speaking to the mundanes that she had befriended who would not be quite so open minded about her uncles' marriage if they knew the truth. She had forged friendships with some mundane teens her own age in an effort to indulge in an escapism of the Shadowworld and the judgement of the Institute.

Being impatient made Ruby nervous as she waited for a response, wondering if a phone call would have been quicker. Then a message typed out on the screen reading, 'Ruby Red, I'm just clicking my heels three times... ;)'

_And now we are back to referencing Wizard of Oz_, Ruby thought, laughing softly before mumbling, "Thank the angels."

-o-

Magnus stormed towards the infirmary, his long leather coat swaying with his strides. "Isabelle- what demon?" he asked bluntly, barely acknowledging anyone else in the room but his patient and Izzy. "My, my, this one got you good Nattie. Step back everyone." He gestured dramatically. "Don't worry, it's not contagious. I've just come to love my own space."

The warlock waved his hands backwards and forwards over Natalie's ankle until wispy purple waves formed, layering around her wound on her ankle. Magnus backed away, dispelling the aura.

"Magnus?" Izzy immediately worried about the next sentence to be uttered in the room. "It's bad, isn't it?"

"Um... I'm going to need some peace and quiet if this is to work." Magnus avoided eye contact with Izzy, refusing to look away from Natalie. "Someone should tell Jace."

Once the infirmary was cleared of everyone but Ruby, Magnus took a deep breath and channelled the incantation, repeating the words again and again until the purple waves clogged together as a small ball, with one thick wavy worm still connecting the ball to the wound. It was this one last strand that was proving to be the most stubborn. Magnus closed his eyes, leaning back slightly and eliminating any distracting thought.

"Magnus!"

Jace's voice echoed through the infirmary and caught Magnus off guard. The last purpled hued strand cracked and snapped causing Magnus to fall back. Caught by Jace, the warlock struggled to his feet and slammed his hand together to eliminate the dark energy floating in the air above Natalie's body.

The wound on Natalie's ankle seemed dry and crusty.

"Where's her stele?" Ruby asked, intrusively inspecting all the pockets of Natalie's jacket and coming up with nothing. "Has she lost hers or something?"

"She's not been given one yet," Jace muttered, squeezing his daughter's hand. "Your mother's going to kill me for this." Like clockwork, external forces were working and Jace's mobile rang. "It's Clary... Watch her Magnus."

Clary's voice was calm at the other end of the phone. "Jace, I- uh... someone you know is here to see you. Says he's an old family friend or something. Glenn... Castlemore? Oh- Castleford. Sorry."

The thoughts of the man in question flooded Jace's mind and none of them ended well.

"Clary, can you do me a favour?" Jace replied calmly, hiding the worry in his voice. "Can you get out of the apartment?"

"I can't leave Jace," Clary fired back sharply, naturally oblivious to the danger. "Glenn is your guest. That means you should come and greet him. He doesn't seem to be aware of our situation now, so perhaps you should just come and talk to him."

"Right- yes. I'll be there in a moment. Just sit tight."

"Okay."

The way Clary said okay seemed off and when the call was disconnected, Jace left running, bumping into Izzy on the corridor.

"Jace- what's wrong?" Izzy asked, holding his arm. "Don't even think about lying to me, it's written all over your face that there's a problem. Is she okay?" When he didn't answer, she added more ferocity to her question. "Is Clary okay?"

"No." Jace shook her from his arm and stormed off towards the exit doors.

Outside, the temperature had dropped, and it was unsettling to know that there was a downworlder in Clary's apartment. There was a slim chance that she could handle herself if things got messy, but the main concern would be the effect that learning about Shadowhunters and the Downworld might have on Clary. An underlying fear simmered underneath that the angels would have implemented particular measures to ensure that she never learnt of her true potential or what she was capable of with a stele or seraph blade in her hand.

-o-

Jace reached the apartment building he used to live at and pressed the button for the apartment downstairs from Clary's. It belonged to an elderly lady whose name he was unsure of lived there, although the name Mrs Huggins seemed to ring a bell. She lived alone, with a light-coloured tabby cat. She loved Natalie and always offered to help babysit when she was a toddler. In the last few years Jace had lived with Clary and Natalie, the elderly lady would sit in the armchair watching the TV as she stroked her feline companion. When Jace explained that he was locked out and Clary was asleep, the old cat lady cheerfully gave him access to the building.

Natalie frowned at her father. "Wait – so you're telling me there's a rune to make you faster, but there isn't a rune to unlock a door?"

He smiled, impressed by her quick thinking and intellect. "There is, but sometimes it's nice to not rely on runes constantly…"

On the staircase, Jace charged stealthily up the stairs towards the floor his old apartment was on. The memories were still felt fresh in his mind – from the day they brought Natalie home, to the heart-breaking moment that he and Clary decided to spend time apart in order to work out whether they wanted to be together. The lead up to that moment had been playing on Jace's mind, but it was increasingly difficult to be a part of a marriage where there was so much that Clary didn't remember. Sometimes Jace felt like Clary loved him, but wasn't in love with him, and that was a tough feeling to contend with.

Jace stood still, waiting and listening as he stood in the empty corridor. Convinced that no one was around, he plucked his stele from the inside pocket of his jacket. Pulling the collar of his shirt down, Jace ran the stele over the surface of his 'Soundless' rune and quickly ran up the last staircase and stopped sharply, holding the bannister rail tightly, smelling a fresh coat of paint on the ceiling.

Looking down the corridor, Jace saw the dark green door and glowered at it like it would enable him to see through it. He approached the door slowly, hoping that Glenn wasn't watching his every move through the peephole. Because that would have been wasteful. Jace felt the Soundless rune beginning to wear off gradually, forcing him to freeze and eavesdrop on the inside of the apartment.

"Hello Jace. Don't be rude, why don't you come in? The door is already open…" Glenn's voice echoed from inside the apartment as if they were standing at the same part of the wall, inches apart but barely aware of each other's presence.

-o-

Magnus stood beside Natalie's bed, watching the unsteady rise and fall of the girl's chest. The ankle wound was bandaged up, but the high warlock was concerned that there was a small residue of dark demon essence still trapped inside. Whilst the high concentration of angelic blood running through Natalie's veins might be able to overpower the darkness, there was a lot still at stake. An ideal scenario would be that all the dark energy was actually extracted from her body, but there was a chill in the air that made Magnus tense and stiff. He could feel it in his bones that there was still something dark there.

The one thing that would have put his mind at ease was Alec. But Alec wasn't there, so it was down to Magnus to make the decisions and try to work things out.

A little while passed and Magnus could barely come up with a simple solution to getting Natalie quickly back to full health.

The girl stirred, blinking as she tried to focus on the strange room, finding Magnus watching her. "Magnus?" Natalie mumbled sleepily, slowly propping herself up on her elbow. "What are you still doing here?"

He ran his thumb over his fingernails, deep in thought before smiling falsely. "Jace roped me in for a bit of babysitting after you decided to play with a nice demon doggie..."

"Demon- doggie?"

"It's what I call the Kogmoroths. Vicious and nasty if you ask me."

Natalie felt a gentle twinge in her leg and dropped her gaze to her ankle as she sat up. She remembered that feeling of the demon snarling over her and then grabbing her by the ankle. If it hadn't been for that boy and the girl with long black hair, then her fate would have been sealed. "You can't seriously be telling me that there isn't a healing rune that can magically make my ankle look less, chomped?"

Magnus chuckled, looking across the room at Harvey and back to Natalie. "I'm not the Shadowhunter of the family, so I'm no help there. Remember I'm a warlock, and I've already got apprentices coming out of my ears right now. One of them being Evangelina who must have been put on this earth to test my many years of life."

It felt strange for Natalie to just listen to Magnus' ramblings, especially when it felt like there was something, he wasn't telling her. Like when someone can't say something and just continually speaks to fill in time. There was an unshakable sickness in her stomach that something was seriously wrong.

"Where's my dad?" Natalie asked quickly, looking around the infirmary. She saw the worry in Magnus' eyes. "I need to talk to him."

Magnus caught her as she stumbled out the bed. "Nu-uh-uh. I promised Izzy I would keep you here."

"Why?"

"Prior engagements and arrangements." Magnus forced her back onto the bed. "You need to stay here and rest."

"Why? Whilst my parents are in danger?!" Natalie snapped angrily, trying to roll over the bed and growling at the pain in her ankle. "Don't suppose there's a teleportation rune to speed things up?"

"How do you know they were both in danger and at home?" Magnus frowned, squinting his dark eyes at her. He knew that she was unconscious when Jace and Izzy spoke - there was no way that Natalie could have known that danger was inside Herondale apartment by overhearing them.

Natalie froze. "I don't know- I could sense it. Like I'd seen it before..."

"No, no. You're a Shadowhunter, not a Jedi feeling the disturbances of the Force."

She hobbled around the infirmary, throwing her weight into the door and stumbling straight into the boy who saved her.

"Watch where you're going, half-measure," he spat, turning away and walking down the corridor with a fellow Shadowhunter. "Sad excuse for a Shadowhunter if you ask me." He shook his head, ruffling his dark brown hair.

She heard someone call out to him, calling him Flynn Wolfcrest. Even the sound of his name irritated her. Everything about Flynn was annoying – the swagger he adopted when he strode down the corridors, the way he acted like he was better than everyone and like he knew everything. Natalie decided he need to be brought down to earth.

"And people like you are the reason God created the middle finger!" Natalie hissed aggressively, hopelessly trying to hold back a bubbling confrontation. "You know what, 'Flynn,' I don't even know you and I know you are an intolerable human being! Since the moment I've stepped foot in here, you've don't nothing but try and put me down. But enough already." She watched as Flynn Wolfcrest slowly turned around. Clearly, she had garnered his attention. "Belittling me like you are isn't going to make you bigger. That mask you're wearing is going to crack and fall off sooner or later – I just hope I'm there when people see who you really are."

A hand squeezed her shoulder hard. "That's enough, Miss Herondale."

Natalie looked up and saw Eric Rosedove. A surreptitious eye roll from the teen seemed in good check. The hand urged her to march, she grimaced through the pain in her ankle at the speed she was forced to keep up with. Flynn had a smug look plastered on his face before he went into the infirmary to check on Harvey.

Eric pushed Natalie gently, barely considering her ankle. "There will be no place for you here if you can't behave and keep in line. The Lightwoods might be family to you, but I'm in charge of the Institute." His voice was gravelly and stern.

Natalie ripped her shoulder from his grip, stumbling into a tabletop computer. "Well- my parents are in danger. He's found them." She knocked her fist against the computer, trying to deflect the fear she was feeling and substitute it for anger. "Why aren't you sending anyone to help them?"

"Because there's no need." Eric coldheartedly turned away.

"So you're just not going to do anything?" Natalie called out to him, her hands shaking, and her jaw clenched in anger. "Well, if you guys aren't going to do anything to stop him, then I will."

An arm caught her, and she shook off the warlock looking down at her. "Okay little Munchkin, you need to stay put-" Magnus lost his grip on Natalie as she twisted away and ran. "Natalie!

-o-

Jace flew through the air, slamming into a bookcase of art encyclopaedias at the far end of the apartment. He arched his back as he rolled onto his side. The fight was taking its toll and there was a bitter taste of blood in his mouth and a few drops had stained the polished wood floor. With Clary still in the apartment, Jace knew he couldn't let her see him use the runes or his Seraph blade because of what might happen to her mind if she were exposed to the Shadowworld.

Glenn Castleford cackled as he walked around Clary who was trying not to shake. He ran his finger over the back of her shoulder and across her neck, brushing the hair to one side to whisper in her ear, "Do you ever feel like there's something dear old Jace isn't telling you?"

Clary fought to move away, but Glenn pressed on the pressure point by her collar bone, forcing her to sit down in one of the chairs. She gritted her teeth, terrified when she thought about what might happen to her.

"Clary – get out!" Jace grunted, pulling himself to his feet. "Castleford- leave here now!"

"Oh come on Jace Herondale. Show her who you really are. Show her what you can do!" Glenn called out persistently, pestering Jace to give in. "It's not very chivalrous of you to not want to save and protect your lady- or is that because of the other lady in your life? And I'm not just talking about the daughter you share with him, Clary… I'm so sorry you had to hear about it this way-" His voice was sarcastic and manipulative, hitting the notes that would resonate with Clary. "There's another woman."

"He's lying, Clary. Don't listen to him!" Jace snapped, approaching cautiously. "He's just trying to turn you against me."

Frozen in fear, Clary tried to hold in the emotion when all she wanted to do was weep. She glared at Glenn, knowing that she would have to do something to protect Jace. "Get out!" she shouted angrily, going to hit Glenn who shoved her back with a swift hand movement. Clary slammed into the floor, knocking over a nearby chair.

"I suggest you stay there…" Glenn muttered before laughing, as he had assumed that Clary wanted Jace to be the one to leave. "Oh you can't send dear Jace away now, Clary Fairchild- the fun is only just beginning!" He bounded over to Jace, delivering a series of strong, sharp kicks to wind his opponent.

"No!" Clary flinched with every kick, clapping her hands over her mouth and pleading for Glenn to stop. That he didn't need to do this, there was no need for it.

"Come on Herondale, fight back!" he snapped angrily, throwing tired punches at Jace who adopted a defensive position at first.

"Enough!" Jace roared, swinging a leg at Glenn's feet to off-balance him.

The two men grappled, trying to overpower the other.

As Glenn's back was to her, Clary tried to think fast. There was no way she could leave Jace, and the phone was on the other side of the room so she couldn't call the cops. Instead, Clary seized an opportunity that was staring her in the face. She forced herself to stand, ignoring the pain in her leg.

On the counter was a bronze vase that she had bought recently in the hopes of using in her newest exhibition. She knew that if she was quick, she could whack Glenn over the head with it as he gloated and taunted Jace. Blinking away the tears, Clary snatched the vase and lurched from her place as Glenn jabbed Jace's nose sharply, shaking his hand in the recoil of the move.

"Hey!" Clary yelled, slamming the vase down hard on Glenn, making him fall to the floor. She dropped the heavily dented vase and staggered backwards, bumping into the table. Her heart was racing so fast that she didn't know whether to sit down and cry or to run out of the apartment.

"Clary- are you hurt?" Jace gritted his teeth as he stood up slowly. "I'm so sor-"

"Don't apologise." Clary folded her arms across her, fidgeting with uncertainty. "It's done. There are more important things to worry about. We should call the police, Jace."

"No," Jace replied sharply, taking hold of Clary as she went to pass him on the way to the phone. "I'll sort it out, I promise."

His eyes were locked onto hers. In the last few months, Clary had an inkling that there might have been someone else in Jace's life. She didn't know how she truly felt about it until now, when it was actually out in the open. The words had been said and they couldn't be taken back. Her eyes connected with his across the apartment and she knew that she couldn't send him away with a bloodied face. Picking up the cloth that was beside the sink, Clary slowly walked towards him.

"Hold still - I just can't let you leave with a bloody nose and brow," Clary said harshly.

"I'm sorry," he mustered up, gazing at her with a sense of longing.

She could feel it too. "I thought I told you not to apologise." Clary started to dab away at the blood that was dribbling from Jace's nose and was reminded of the time where she had opened a cupboard door as he was sneaking up on her and slammed it right into his face. Baby Natalie had squealed in her highchair and started laughing for the first time the three of them had laughed about it then, and it made Clary giggle for a moment.

"Why are you laughing?" Jace asked, wincing as she pressed a little too hard on his nose. "You were thinking of the cupboard incident, weren't you?"

"Maybe," Clary replied before impulsively asking the dreaded question. "Why don't you tell me the truth anymore, Jace?"

Jace bit his lip, blinking slowly. "It's not that I don't want to. It's that I can't."

"Can't or won't?" Clary retorted, dropping the cloth into his hands. "I always thought we were a team and that we'd always be honest with one another. You should have told me."

"And you should have told me you were seeing Simon again!" Jace snapped, wiping the cloth on his brow and then throwing it down on the splintered coffee table.

Clary gawped at Jace, feeling incredibly defensive about the inaccurate accusation. "Again- there's no again. Simon is my friend and I have known him since we were kids." She couldn't believe that he was trying to turn this on her, when all she did was have dinner with Simon. "He was back in New York and we had no idea when we might have a chance to catch up." Clary paused, wondering why she was dignifying a response to such an innocent event. "Why are you even concerned about me going to dinner with Simon- it's not like I have feelings for him, we're friends. Always have been, always will be." Clary threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "I don't really have to tell you when and who I go to dinner with, do I?"

Jace's was caught in a precarious situation as Clary would have no recollection of her former relationship with Simon. "I... I just didn't think you would do that without telling me..."

"And what about you, Jace? Are you exempt from that notion?"

Jace froze, she was right. "I didn't think." The honesty was on the tip of his tongue and he was ready. "Everything just sort of happened. I didn't plan it, but the thing is, we never came back to tell each other whether we wanted to still be with one another."

The conversation was tough on Clary, who had actually been thinking long and hard about her feelings for Jace. Whilst the time apart had drawn him to someone else, they had only made Clary's desires to be with Jace burn brighter.

"What do you want to do now, Jace?"

"I need more time." His response was weakened as he grabbed Glenn's limp body off the floor and strode towards the door to leave. Walking away from the situation.

"No! You don't get to leave, Jace. Not when you're the one who actually has someone else..."

"What?" another voice piped up.

They turned to see their daughter partly climbing in through the window. She stumbled down from the ledge and held onto the counter nearby.

Natalie stammered and stumbled over her words. "Dad... Is it true?" She resisted the urge to scratch the itch on her ankle for fear of how her mother might react to the injury.

"Yes."

Natalie tried to hide the limp as she leapt towards Clary. "Mum, are you okay?"

Clary sniffed hard before forcing a bright smile. "Of course I'm fine, Nattie... I'm just glad that you weren't here to be caught up in the madness." She extended her arms out and embraced her daughter tightly. "Come on, pack an overnight bag- I'll put us up in a hotel for a night whilst your father tidies the house. His choice, not mine." Clary laced her fingers with Natalie's, squeezing tightly. "You and me- we'll be okay."

-o-

Ruby folded her arms as she stood by Harvey's bedside, rubbing the parabatai rune that was on her left side, just below her rib cage. Her twin was also her parabatai, and it was their decision entirely - much to the disappointment of Flynn Wolfcrest who had trained with the two Rosedoves before Eric took a personal shine to him. Ruby knew there was always some spiteful feelings from Flynn towards her. He was Harvey's best friend and a natural option for a parabatai.

"Come on Harvey, I could really do with you coming back soon. Life in the Institute and at home isn't the same without you," Ruby sighed, taking one of Harvey's cold hands. "You always had cold hands... I guess I should also tell you about our new cousin, Natalie. She's Jace's daughter and she found us. You'll get to meet her soon. It's crazy really to think we didn't know about her. But she found the Shadowhunters, and also a Kogmoroth demon … Yeah, me and Flynn had to fend it off of her. Total nightmare when you consider who her parents are, right? Uncle Jace's daughter?"

"Are you serious, Ruby?" But this wasn't Harvey's voice, it was Flynn's.

"Flynn- leave me alone, alright?" Ruby went to leave the infirmary, walking to the arrogant teen standing in the doorway. "You know something, Natalie was right about you," she added sternly. "You're nothing but a scared little kid trying to play with the big boys. Now run along back to your band of misfits down by the underpass." She turned quickly, purposefully flicking her hair into Flynn's face. "You need to get along with Natalie, because she's going to be one of us soon."

Flynn rolled around the doorframe to follow Ruby out, smugly saying, "Well you should probably talk it over with Daddy dearest. Because he has other ideas for the thing."

"Don't call her that, Flynn. If you aren't going to help us, I'm going to take her in and make her the best fighter she can be. Moonheart will also be the perfect mentor." Ruby stood up tall and channelled her inner Isabelle Lightwood as she strutted away, knowing that Flynn would be staring at her behind. "Still got it, Mama Lightwood."

**Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Side note, it does break my heart to play on the Jace and Clary breakdown, but who knows what is in store for them?**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love from The Mortal Instruments, although I do take ownership over the new characters

A/N: Let's introduce some Downworlders to the mix!

**Chapter 05**

"I don't want to talk to Dad anymore - let alone see him." Natalie stood firm on the situation, knowing her heart and wanting to protect her mother. "There is too much that he's withheld from me and I'm not over it. Maybe in time, but not now."

Clary was perched on one of the beds in their temporary hotel room. It was a basic room and had barely functioning facilities. The shower couldn't keep a stable temperature, which made the morning showers less than desirable and the lights flickered in the evenings. She knotted her fingers around the duvet, nerves creeping up on her. "You better get off to school. I'll get in touch with someone so that we can get into a new place. After that man came into the apartment, I… I can't stay there- and I don't want you to either. It'll give us the perfect fresh start, and of course it'll be somewhere in the city, don't worry Natalie."

"I know, thanks. Bye Mom, love you."

Natalie forced a smile and left- rotating her ankle in the elevator. It had been a few days since the Kogmoroth demon got her, but the gash was still painful every now and again. When a group of French tourists got in the lift, she stopped exercising her foot and huddled up in the corner, noticing her tired reflection in the mirrored walls.

_Ping_.

The doors opened into the lobby. A young girl who was sat in one of the lobby chairs watched Natalie walk slowly out of the building. The girl paused for a while and then followed.

The streets were freezing, winter coats were in abundance. The fur trims rippled in the breeze, disturbing loose fibres that floated away. Many business commuters clutched coffee cups in their hands, hoping the hot beverage would warm their bodies. Children were weaving through the crowd, delighting in the 'dragon's breath' that the cold morning was giving them.

Natalie's stomach rumbled as she passed a pretzel and bagel cart, trying to carry on walking past it. "I'll pick something up at the cafeteria..."

The smells enticed her to glance over her shoulder, almost convincing her to change her mind about buying breakfast now. That's when she noticed a familiar face darting out of sight. Someone else was tailing her this time.

_Not this again. _Natalie rushed in the direction that they disappeared in, flinching when she found no one there.

"You'll learn one day," a bright voice said behind Natalie. "I'm Ruby Rosedove- me and Flynn were the ones to save you from the Kogmoroth demon... And apparently, I'm kind of your cousin."

Natalie gawped at the other girl, noting the berry red lipstick – much darker than the red she had previously worn. "Why are you following me? I told my aunt I didn't need a babysitter."

"I agree, and so does my Mom," Ruby replied, standing up straight and an inch or so taller than Natalie. "I didn't want to follow you when we hadn't really been introduced properly, but Mom insisted. If you ask me, you really do need a teacher or at the very least someone who can show you the basics. Which is where I come in." She opened her red leather handbag and held out a thin box that looked like a pen might be inside. "Fresh from the Iron Sisters."

"And I need a pen because-?" Natalie asked with an ascending intonation on the last word.

"Funny." Ruby held out the box. "Take it. Natalie, this is- forget it. Just come with me to the Institute."

The young Herondale shook her head. "I don't think I should. It seems as though your dad is not my biggest fan. He's supposed to be my uncle, and yet he holds me at arm's length." Natalie waved a hand in the direction of the school. "I have class today anyway..."

Ruby laughed it off, linking arms with the girl and leading her into the crowd. There was a forcefulness about Ruby that made Natalie think that she couldn't say no. As they walked, Ruby started explaining a few pointers about Eric Rosedove on the way. The top tip being to ignore the stern head and take the things he says with a grain of salt. Eric had been flown in by the Clave from the Los Angeles Institute to take over the New York Institute, unaware that Alec had already passed leadership to Izzy for a job in Idris. Eric and Izzy learnt to live with their different approaches both in and out of the Institute. Ruby suspected the main reason why her father was trying to ostracise Natalie was because of the sheer potential the Fairchild-Herondale offspring had as a Shadowhunter. Potential that could make her stronger than Eric's protégé, Flynn.

-o-

Ruby snuck Natalie into the Institute, scoping the corridors out first before allowing Natalie in and leading her up onto one of the balconies so that their secret lessons might begin.

"Open the box then." Ruby stood up straight, taking up a power stance with folded arms.

Natalie nodded, quickly pulling off the lid of the box to find a pencil-like device. It had a clear crystal gem shard wrapped in a coil of silver that looked like it had tiny silver tinted leaves growing from it.

"This," Ruby started to explain. "Is your stele. It is what we use to make runes on our bodies. Runes give Shadowhunters particular abilities or advantages. Permanent marks, temporary effects, but incredibly useful in battle if you're quick enough."

"Right," Natalie Mombled uncertainly, picking up the stele. "I definitely won't lose this."

"Better not," Ruby replied, putting on her best teacher voice. "Now how do you feel about the seraph blades?"

"I've sort of sparred with your Mom. It felt good to let out some anger."

"Anger is good, but it's better to control your emotions." Ruby pulled out her own stele, of which was a thicker silver stick with a ruby red stone embedded in the end. "Now for a demonstration." She ran the stele over the surface of a rune that looked like a squint, cursive 'p' with a flick coming off the loop. The skin of the rune began to glow a glittery amber colour. "Now watch this."

Natalie backed away slightly, unsure of what might happen to her. With a quick skip, like a gymnast preparing to tumble, Ruby ran off and returned so quickly that Natalie was caught completely off guard. Her hands trembled, pointed back and forth between the start and finish point before laughing playfully.

"You- that was incredible!"

"Heightened speed. You know, it would probably be easier for you to compile some notebooks on the runes. Wait here and I'll go grab a basic textbook for you." Ruby didn't turn as she headed for the door. "Don't go anywhere and try not to let anyone see you."

Natalie nodded, knowing that she was in no position to argue. She felt nervous on the balcony and surveyed all around her, transfixed by the view, unaware that the Institute went up this high. She told herself that it must have been a glamour or something. An illusion. In fear of being discovered, Natalie tucked herself away in the corner of the balcony. The view… The sun was skimming over the tall skyscrapers, beaming down on the city below. She put her hands on the cold stone wall, moving her fingers over the smooth surface, trying to settle her racing mind.

"Hold on…" She heard a voice say from the direction of the doors.

Natalie staggered back out of sight, pinning her school bag to her chest, leaning back into the wall as the door to the balcony opened. For a moment, she closed her eyes and held her breath. Her heart picked up its pace, fearful she was about to be caught.

"I know, the kid was poking her nose around the Institute." It was a man's voice, and not one she had heard before. "I mean, it's bad enough we had to subdue the Rosedove boy, but now they're bringing in every warlock under the sun to wake him up. Such a shame they won't find the root. Advanced glamours are a godsend." They spoke with confidence and sophistication, like a businessman trying to pitch the latest pyramid schemes. "Yes, he's here. The plan is to break him out and then we'll nab her again. As before... Well, she might need to be coerced into helping. Let's call it a forceful persuasion?" The man on the balcony paused. "Yes, sir. Now keep investigating and wait for my signal." He let out a loud sigh before whispering, "New Dawn is coming, spread the word."

By the time Natalie plucked up the courage to see who it was, they had gone back inside. Deep down, she knew there was very little that she could do when she wasn't even supposed to be in the Institute in the first place. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, overcome with text and missed call notifications.

Ivy: Nat, where are you? Xx

Mom: Call me.

Ivy: Where are you? You know you've missed the first two periods, right?!

"I'm going to be in so much trouble."

Like a terrified rabbit caught in the headlights, Natalie knew she had to leave quickly. She slipped back into the building trying to make her rucksack a little more inconspicuous. Not a lot of Shadowhunters seemed to carry around a school bag with them.

_Do Shadowhunters even go to school?_ Natalie thought, internally listing of the things they might or might not do in the hope of calming herself down. Her breathing was unsteady and her head was spinning.

"Natalie," Ruby whispered, running towards the young girl who seemed in a complete daze. "You look like you're about to faint." She put an arm around Natalie as they navigated the corridors of the building before opening the glass door to the infirmary.

Down the corridor, Ruby could see her mother engaging in a deep conversation with one of the senior Shadowhunters. Fortunately, Izzy had her back to the girls, so she wouldn't have seen Natalie.

"In here!" Ruby checked the corridor again and closed the glass door, hoping that people wouldn't look in or be nosey. The young Rosedove girl caught Natalie staring at her unconscious twin in the bed at the far end.

"That's my twin brother, Harvey – he got attacked by a powerful necromancer who set a bunch of demons on him. He's been like this for weeks. It'll be one month come Thursday."

Natalie wound her fingers around the side rail of the bed, remembering the words she had overheard. "You've brought in every warlock under the sun to wake him up…" she murmured, down heartened by the situation. "Not even Magnus could help find the root."

"How did you know?" Ruby asked slowly, feeling a sense of worry bubbling in her core. "Very few people know about that."

"I overheard it somewhere..." Natalie noticed something at the side of Harvey's neck towards the nape, just shielded by some strands of chocolate brown hair and the multiple pillows that had been stacked up. "There's something on the back of his neck, and I don't think it's a rune."

Intrigued, Ruby leaned forward. "There's a Deflect rune on one side of his neck to mirror mine- Lightwood tradition, but nothing on the back though – it's not an accessible area to activate a rune on, but some people put them there."

Natalie ran a hand under the back of Harvey's head. "If we roll him onto his side, we can get a better look at whatever it is."

The pair nodded to each other and rolled the boy onto his left side, careful not to disturb the tubing and catheters on Harvey's body. Natalie squinted when she saw a creature on the surface of the back of his neck. A strange organism with transparent spidery limbs. It was such a shock her she almost let go of Harvey's body in disgust. The body of the creature was slowly pulsating, as though it was absorbing some of Harvey's life energy and blood.

"What is that?" she asked squeamishly.

Ruby looked over his body, frowning deeply at the back of his neck. "What is it, Natalie? There's nothing there."

Natalie glanced up. "You mean you can't see it? Could it be glamoured?" She reached out with a delicate finger to poke the creature.

The creature hissed in a high pitch when the finger made contact.

Ruby quickly waved her stele over the Voyance rune on the back of her neck and yelped loudly, "Okay, I see it now!" She let Natalie take the weight and backed away. "I'll send for Mom and make sure that she comes quick. It looks as though it's got a pretty tough grip on Harvey."

Natalie held Harvey steady. The creature let out a low whistle, almost sensing her presence, but relaxed quickly. "What are you?" she whispered.

The creature had barely stirred since its discovery in that infirmary, apart from its pulsing absorption. It didn't stop Natalie from anticipating that it would jump right onto her face at any moment. Natalie blinked and something took control of her entire body. When she opened her hands, she saw that she was holding the creature in her hand with some of Harvey's blood dribbling from its limbs and onto her hand.

"What are you doing with that?" Eric Rosedove shouted from the door, eyeing up the creature in Natalie's hand. "Get away from my son, right now…"

Ruby slammed into Eric, trying to hold him back as she explained what was going on. "It's not her fault. Natalie found the creature on the back of Harvey's neck. I think it was an incredibly strong glamour because I didn't see it at first. Whatever it is, it must have been the thing keeping him unresponsive."

"How do you expect me to believe that?" Eric asked angrily, pushing Ruby gently away.

A soft, deep voice spoke up, saying, "It's true Dad, it wasn't her fault."

"Harvey..." The father took one faltered step closer to the bed, disbelief overcoming his body.

Harvey rolled over slowly, reaching for his stele on the tray table and activating the Iratze rune that was on the inside of his bicep. He noticed Natalie watching him, to which she immediately looked away, appearing suddenly shy to him. "Looks like I owe you a thank you- but only once you get rid of that thing."

The creature's legs were circling the air around it, feeling for its new host. Desperate for something to help sustain it.

Natalie spotted a small incubator sitting on a counter at one end of the infirmary. Lifting the lid off it with her spare hand, she dumped the creature inside. "It was nothing," she Mombled quietly. She fumbled with the lid, closing it clumsily.

Eric couldn't hide the scowl on his face. "Ruby, take Miss Herondale to see Tristan and your mother in the training room immediately. I want to talk to your brother in private."

The twins exchanged a nervous look before Ruby smiled weakly, quickly stealing a hug from her brother. "It's good to have my parabatai back, Harv... Come on Natalie."

-o-

Natalie smiled as she left the Institute, feeling proud of the new step she was taking for a moment. The pride quickly turned to dread. Izzy had introduced Natalie to Tristan. An older Shadowhunter who was charming and light-hearted towards Natalie. With blonde hair and blue eyes, he looked like he had stepped right out of a teen sitcom where he played the protagonist's cute older brother. Izzy had decided that Natalie would attend private training sessions with Tristan every other day and she was free to use the Institute's facilities in the meantime.

Outside the Institute, Natalie could see Flynn Wolfcrest stood at the bottom of the steps, leaning coolly against the bannister railing. Flynn gave Natalie a side-eye glance paired with a crooked smile that was not going to slip without comment.

"What's your problem with me, Flynn? You got here early to call me another name or something?"

The look on Flynn's face dropped and gave an indication that he was not there to start a fight with her at. "Here." He tossed a book across the stairs, ignoring it scuff the ground at Natalie's feet. "If you're going to be a Shadowhunter, then you need to start learning the runes."

Natalie picked up the book slowly, and was about to thank him and apologise, but before she got the chance, Flynn was already walking away.

-o-

Armed with Flynn's book on runes and her stele hidden in her coat pocket, Natalie returned to the hotel she was staying at. Having missed most of the day, she decided to go down to the Brooklyn Bridge Park where she would sit and watch the world go by. It gave her time to check the rune book Flynn had given her.

On the inside page, there was a handwritten message that read, '_For my little angel boy, Flynn, this book holds everything you need to know who you are... Celeste Silvermist.' _The name, Celeste Silvermist, had concerned Natalie and made her wonder who she was and how she was connected to Flynn Wolfcrest.

But that was a story that would have to wait for another time.

For now, Natalie was about to accept the impending lecture that was waiting on the other side of the door for her – and all because she took one day to skip school. After everything she had been through in the last month, Natalie had hoped that it might get people to cut her a little slack – only Clary didn't know anything about this...

The door opened before Natalie could even knock on the door.

"Natalie, where have you been?" Clary pulled her daughter close in an almost suffocating embrace before adopting a sterner front. "The school called me to tell you hadn't been in school all day! What were you thinking? I've been calling you and had no idea where you were."

"I just needed a day off. It's not a big deal. All I did was sit on the Brooklyn Bridge walkway. With everything that's happened and Dad's secret coming out, I wanted a time out. Is that too much to ask for?"

"It is a big deal- you weren't at school. And I didn't know where you were! I had to lie to the school and tell them it was a doctor's appointment..." Clary realized that she hadn't checked on Natalie.

In trying to be braver herself and focusing on being strong for the both of them, Clary had momentarily neglected to make sure how Natalie was really feeling. She knew her daughter had a habit of bottling up her emotions and the last week had been no exception. Naturally, Clary wondered how Jace's confession of another woman had impacted Natalie inside.

Clary let out a short sigh. "Why don't we go for a walk? I can show you the new apartments if you'd like?"

"Sure..."

Before they left, Natalie surreptitiously pushed the rune book idea deeper in her bag and kept her stele into her jacket pocket.

The mother and daughter walked along the labyrinth of streets and avenues under the dim amber glow of the streetlights. It was quicker to cut across Prospect Park, passing by a small bridge that Natalie ran her hand along the railing, remembering old memories.

"Do you remember coming here when I was a kid?" she asked, looking at her mother with wondering eyes. "And we would drop a pebble into the water and count the ripples?"

Clary paused, stopping in her tracks. She nodded, turning towards the river and watching the river flow away. "You used to tell me that the water would wash away our troubles. You always came out with the funniest things. My little philosopher kid…"

A stone was placed on the railing beside Clary. It was round and had a pale red tint to it. Natalie had a similar one in her hands, ready to drop it into the water. Together, they released the stones into the water, watching them sink through the air. In doing so, Natalie knocked her stele from her open pocket and the words Ruby told her about not losing it resonated with her. Without even thinking, Natalie vaulted over the railing causing Clary to cry out.

Clary watched helplessly as her daughter dropped into the river and completely vanished out of sight followed by a mysterious glow of blue light. "Natalie!" she screamed, looking around for someone to help.

No one was around – not even a lone jogger or couple walking their yappy little dog. A strong breeze blew through the trees, pulling leaves onto the ground around Clary's feet. The cries for help were met with nothing but silence. She wondered about whether to throw herself into the water, but fear was stopping her in her tracks.

_Jace, I need you… _

-o-

Natalie stirred, lying in a bed of dried leaves on a forest floor. Quickly, she jumped to her feet and surveyed the area around her, concerned about how she got there. She turned around quickly, almost to the point where she became dizzy. _Senses... What do they tell me? _The smells. So fragrant and fresh, with notes of jasmine and peaches that made cosmetics store scents seem weak in comparison. The air was warm and crisp, encouraging Natalie to go to remove her jacket.

As her hand grazed the zip, Natalie remembered her stele and dropped to her knees in a panic, ruffling her hands over the leaves, barely noting the vast array of shapes and shades. No stele touched her fingers.

"Looking for this?"

Natalie looked up to see a lady holding the stele in her hand, wiggling it like she was a magician trying to mesmerize a crowd.

"Give that back, it's mine."

The woman pursed her dark painted lips at Natalie, turning to walk away. The swift movement caused the silky material of her dress to waft in the wind. It had intricate applique of stitched leaves on the bodice and skirt, making it look like a designer gown.

"Who are you?" Natalie asked, stumbling over the lip of the hill. "Hey, I'm talking to you! Where am I?"

"Well- perhaps I am a friend and perhaps I am your foe." She spoke with an unusual accent and the way she threaded a sentence together gave them a clear hidden meaning. "It has been a while since a Shadowhunter has entered my domain so willingly."

"I'm not a Shadowhunter..." Natalie lied weakly.

"But I've never seen a mundane carry a Shadowhunter's stele before. So which is it- what are you?" The woman stopped, rounding on Natalie and closely inspecting the youngster's face. "I know your faces. You've been in the Seelie Court before, haven't you?"

Natalie remembered the word _Seelie._ They were a part of the downworlder family and lived in a faraway realm accessible only at normally heavily guarded portals. The last few weeks felt like revision sessions that had been training for future encounters with the Shadowworld and the Downworlders.

"I've never been here in my life- I fell into the river trying to catch my stele, but then I ended up here."

"So it _is_ your stele?"

Natalie raised an eyebrow, confused by the woman's line of questioning. "You knew it was my stele anyway. Why are you even trying to pretend you didn't know?"

"That's quite a temper you've developed, little Shadowhunter, but I am the Seelie Queen and I cannot lie. Surely you know that Seelies cannot lie." The Seelie Queen strode ahead, keeping a hold of the stele, tapping it rhythmically against her hand. "I sense you have a question you wish to ask, but first, I would like to put a name on this pretty face you wear."

Natalie was uncertain about what Seelies were but made the assumption that there must be some truth in her words and the queen must hold enough power to send her home. "My name is Natalie. Natalie Herondale. Can you tell me-"

"A pure lineage if ever I had heard one. Maybe even purer than the lost Silvermist family. It's interesting, really. There have been whispers amongst the downworlders that there was a strong Shadowhunter coming out of the shadows. I never expected that they would be a girl and that you would appear … rune-less."

"It seems appearances really can be deceiving in more ways than one."

The queen walked around Natalie, changing her appearance to that of a child wearing a woven branch for a crown. "I know all about that… I'd like to play a game with you, Natalie Herondale." The child took her new guest's hand and pulled her into a clearing that was masked by two large willow trees.

The willow trees swayed like pirouetting ballet dancers, yet no breeze could be felt which made the movement all the more mysterious. A long stone table had been laid out for the queen and Natalie, with vines, delectable fruits and jugs of different liquids dotted up the length of the table.

"I really should be getting home…" Natalie said weakly, trying to pull away from the tight grip on her hand. "And I'm not really hungry."

"Don't you want to know about your destiny? I have a friend who tells me that you have received messages from the angel of guidance. You may know this angel as Sariel…" The child perched on the edge of a seat at one end of the table, trying to appear taller despite still struggling to see Natalie over the vast array of delicacies. "You're intrigued- I can see that."

"How does your 'friend' know about my dreams?" Natalie held a piece of fruit in her hand, running her fingers over the fuzzy skin, but she caught a glimpse of the Queen lighting up when she went to take a bite and stopped her teeth from touching the fruit. "You're not answering my question."

The Seelie Queen tutted in frustration. "With all this knowledge I'm passing on to you, I would have expected you to give something to me in return. Eat… It is what the meal is there for. My Seelies have put this together for guests that come to our realm."

"If you can't lie to me, tell me why you're so insistent on me eating something."

"Because I hope you'll find it to your liking."

Again, the words seemed muddled. Like something was being concealed. True motives were being shielded by a screen of minced words and technicalities. Natalie's eyes darted about the clearing, noticing an absence of subjects.

"For a queen, you seem to be lacking a court."

"They are playing their part."

"Where are they?"

"Clearly not here."

"Something isn't right here, and you're trying to hide it from me."

The child slumped back in the stone chair. "You think you're so clever, but I know someone who could really put you in your place. Look for the golden eye in your world and all will be revealed. For now, I'd like to hear more about the New Dawn you're supposed to be bringing to these worlds. What have you planned?"

New Dawn? Natalie thought, remembering she had heard one other person use that phrase.

**Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = And so Natalie meets another Downworlder – who knows how she's going to get out of this one?**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love from The Mortal Instruments, although I do take ownership over the new characters

A/N: The question is, which side does the Seelie Queen fight for?

**Chapter 06**

Harvey Rosedove gritted his teeth as he tried to walk confidently around the Institute – there were so many people watching him closely. The boy who had awoken from his coma when an Aracna demon creature was extracted from the back of his neck. There was still an intermittent sharp stabbing pain at the point the demon had been hibernating. It sent chills down his spine to think that someone inside their community had aided in putting it there.

"Welcome back, Harvey old buddy…" Flynn bumped Harvey hard in the side, catching him off course and leading him in another direction. "It seems your saving grace has decided to visit the seelie court, and your parabatai wants us to play rescue mission before the bosses find out what happened. Turns out your parabatai loves the downworlders as much as your mother…"

"That's sick, Flynn, and gently on the back – there are some things even Iratze can't heal in a flash." Harvey winced at Flynn's arm over his shoulder and back. "And are you insane? If my parents find out we went behind their backs to remove Natalie from the seelie realm, then I can kiss goodbye to a trip to Idris and Alicante."

Flynn pulled Harvey through the doors, urging him down the steps. "This is our chance to have our own adventure, Harvey. If you'd rather stay here and be a goody, goody- then go right ahead. I, on the other hand, will be helping out Ruby. If you feel a pain on the parabatai rune, then would you send help? Because we're probably in trouble by that point."

Harvey rolled his eyes and started to follow. "I wish you wouldn't guilt trip and manipulate me into doing this stuff with you."

Flynn shrugged dismissively. "What can I say? I'm the golden boy with a rebellious, bad boy image to uphold…"

"You do realise that in itself is a paradox, right?" Harvey asked before hurrying his pace to keep up with Flynn. "Heads down."

Before Flynn had a chance to follow suit, he realised that they had walked straight into Jace and a pretty brunette Shadowhunter. Jace smiled at Harvey, "I didn't expect to see you out of the Institute so quickly Harvey. It's good to see you back on your feet… Where are you both off to?"

As the more confident one, Flynn took the metaphorical reins. "Just wanted to take my patrol buddy out for an easy ride. Nothing too strenuous, because this is technically his first day back on the streets." A moment crossed the teen's mind and he was sure that they were about to be busted. "Come on Harvey."

Harvey turned away from Jace and his companion, but that didn't stop him looking over his shoulder at the pair holding hands as they went in the direction of the Institute. Even sharing a quick kiss. It seemed strange seeing Jace partnered up with someone else other than Clary. There was an obnoxiously loud ringtone from behind the two boys, followed by the brunette shouting at Jace about how this was not okay behaviour and he needed to sort out his priorities.

"Sounds like trouble," Harvey mumbled, resisting the urge to turn around and stare at the argument.

Flynn snatched a quick glance. "I think Daddy's just found out that his daughter's missing_\- again_. Must mean Fray is at the Shakespeare Garden bridge. We better hurry."

-o-

Ruby hid away behind a large and thorny bush, keen to not prick herself on the sharp spikes. Peeking through the shrub, she watched Clary pace about the bridge whilst on the phone, frantically trying to explain to someone- most likely Jace, what had happened.

"No Jace, I'm not imagining it!" Clary exclaimed, slapping a hand to her forehead. "Natalie dropped something over the edge, went to catch it and then disappeared through this glowing hoop. I know what I saw, and I know I can't call the cops and tell them. I'd be laughed out of the precinct." She paused, catching her breath. "I can't lose her, not when I've lost you…"

The silence made Ruby cringe slightly – she had overheard discussions between her parents about Jace and Clary growing apart and how Jace had tried to move on by throwing himself into something else, but to hear Clary's voice shaking was hard. All Ruby wanted to do was comfort the older woman in an attempt to emit sympathy.

Harvey and Flynn approached Ruby from behind, careful not to startle her. She told them that Jace won't be far behind, but then suspected he would use one of his Heightened Speed runes as soon as he found out.

"Make that as soon as he finishes having out his little argument with the new Shadowhunter from the North…" Flynn remarked. "Are we ready to make our move? We'll have to be quick if we want to get back without Clary seeing us."

Ruby grabbed Flynn's arm. "She can't see us. After Clary gave up her memories of the Shadowworld, there's no knowing what will happen if she discovers what we are and what we can do. I don't know if I want to be the one to tell Jace or Natalie if something goes wrong."

Flynn dismissively rolled his eyes, refusing to admit Ruby was right. "Then I'll be a diversion whilst you and Harvey go through the portal." He arrogantly didn't wait for confirmation from either of the pair and instead darted to to the path and straight for Clary. "Miss... Miss? Please help me..."

Clary didn't know what to do. This boy was clearly in need of help, yet so was she. "What is it? she stammered quietly.

"I dropped my phone somewhere near here on my way home from school- I know I dropped it around here. Have you seen it?" Flynn paused for effect before dramatically grabbing a fist of hair. "Oh man if my dad finds out I lost my phone, he'll kill me!"

"Calm down- it's going to be fine."

With Clary and Flynn 'searching' for the lost phone, the two Rosedoves darted over the edge of the railing and dropped into the water.

Ruby exhaled sharply through her nose as she whizzed through the portal. It wasn't her first visit to the seelie realm, so she had picked up a few things along the way. The landing out the other end of the portal was always the trickiest. Ruby planted her feet down whilst her twin and parabatai skidded across the leaves, throwing them up on the air.

A thin veil of mist lingered in the air, adding to the creepy atmosphere. The trees were tall and thin, growing so close together that nearly all the natural light was blocked out. In the distance, a lone bird was bellowing its song. The question was never answered.

"Harvey!" Ruby squeaked, heaving her brother onto his feet. "You've got to take it easy."

"Well there's a first time for everything." Harvey looked around, wide-eyes at his surroundings. "So this is the seelie realm?"

Ruby nodded, pulling him to one side just as Flynn somersaulted onto the ground, rolling into action with his hand poised one of his dagger blades.

He glanced over his shoulder, smirking at Ruby. "You've clearly made great progress in finding the girl then..."

The trio paced quickly through the forest, led by Ruby who took them to the queen's court.

"Natalie!" Ruby exclaimed.

The girl lay unconscious on the ground beside the table of food, her body like a corpse sprawled out on the ground. Thoughts about the seelies plagued Ruby's mind as she knelt beside Natalie with fingers pressed to the skin, searching for a pulse.

"Ahh... more Shadowhunters. This is really turning into a busy day." The Queen strode into the clearing as a teenager. Her face clear and fresh, but still with mischievous eyes. "She is quite alright."

"What have you done to her?" Ruby snapped angrily.

"Me? I have only done what was necessary to protect her."

"Which is?"

"Keep her here." The seelie queen walked towards them, her bare feet brushing the leaves that littered the ground as a patchwork carpet. "You must know of the New Dawn- one that sees the great demon king rise... rumours among the downworlders claim that the one born of Ithuriel's is the key to redeeming the cursed one."

Harvey slapped a hand to his face. "Quit talking in riddles and tell us straight!"

"Temper, temper – you must be a Rosedove…"

Ruby jerked her head around to glare at Harvey. "Something's wrong here." She could feel it, a tenseness emanating from the seelie in front of her. "They've got to you… Guys, we have to get out of here now. Grab Natalie."

"Oh she can't go anywhere…" the seelie queen whispered darkly.

With narrowed dark eyes, Ruby called the bluff. "I said grab Natalie, we're leaving." She held onto the end of the collapsed staff she fought with, one finger brushing the catch if necessary. "It's fine Harvey- you should know that whilst she can't lie, she can withhold the truth and manipulate the facts."

Someone brushed past Harvey and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "You…"

"That's right," the man said, smiling with his head tilted downwards, giving him a dark and evil look. "Your institute knows me as Glenn- among a few select other names. I was beginning to wonder when I would meet to head of the New York Institute's children. Ruby May Rosedove and Harvey Robert Rosedove. Ultimately, I've met you before Harvey, but you were- how should I put it? A little out of it…"

Flynn picked up Natalie's limp body from the ground, balancing it over his right shoulder like a protective firefighter. "Twinsies- let's get out of here. He's trouble. I can feel it."

Glenn laughed loudly, his deep voice echoing all around. "You're not going anywhere- not with her."

His advancing pace made Ruby take action and push Harvey back, urging him to go with Flynn.

Glenn paused, intrigued by the teen's willingness to fight along. He turned back to look at the seelie queen. "Your friend did not predict further company and fighting, but I will relish in the battle."

A leg swung through the air, catching Ruby in the side and sending her into one of the nearby willow trees. Winded, she dropped to the floor, about to reach for her stele when a brown boot caught her shoulder. Flipped like a pancake, Ruby tried to push herself off the ground to dart away after Flynn and Harvey.

"You can't win against me, child," Glenn muttered quickly, noticing Harvey trying to creep towards him using the Soundless rune on his shoulder. "Soundless doesn't make you undetectable boy." He thrusted his hands through the air, sending a shockwave towards the teen.

Harvey was thrown up in the air, crashing down hard on the soil, wincing at the pain in his chest. "Ruby…" he whispered, lifting his gaze to see Glenn wrap a hand around her throat. "No," he added hoarsely, feeling a tightness in his own windpipes. The fire inside was lit and Harvey climbed to his feet dizzily. "Get your hands off my sister."

The seelie queen tried to stop Harvey from intervening, but when he could see Ruby's face no longer flushed with colour, he dodged the royal.

"Ruby!" Harvey exclaimed boldly, pulling his blade from its sheath and swinging it towards Glenn.

Glenn held onto Ruby, guiding her away from Harvey's clumsy attack. "Stay out of this, Harvey- you aren't strong enough to participate. Not like Ruby here. Just a little squeeze and you'll be fine, Ruby."

"Glenn! Let her go!"

The man in question pivoted on his toes to see Jace Herondale with his seraph blade glowing in his hand. Without another beat, Ruby was released and collapsed as a wheezing heap on the floor, comforted by her twin.

"Harvey, go with Flynn- protect Nat…" she wheezed, plastering a hand to her throat. "Please. Trust me." Ruby watched Glenn and Jace fight one another as Harvey left the clearing.

The grunts and calculated movements were mesmerising to watch.

Jace caught Glenn's nose with the hilt of his blade. "Where is she? Where is Natalie?"

Glenn snapped back, clouting Jace's cheek with a clenched fist. "She's gone Jace. You're too late."

A scream in the distance distracted the fighters who whipped their heads around in the direction they heard it coming from.

"Jace, we have to get out of here…" Ruby pleaded, pulling on his arm, but he yanked it free. "Jace?"

The Herondale lashed out, striking Glenn and receiving multiple hits back.

"Idiots…" Ruby muttered, running over to the table and frantically searching for something small.

The seelie queen looked out from under the table as a terrified child. "What are you doing?" she snapped petulantly. "That was arranged for the harbinger!"

"Well I'm about to make sure that we can't be followed. You are going to keep our mutual enemy here." Ruby plucked a small black berry from a branch and held it tightly between her thumb and forefinger, careful not to smash it. "Hey Glenn!" she screamed loudly, throwing the berry sharply through the air like a dart.

The dark ball lodged itself into the back of Glenn's throat, causing him to cough for a moment. Jace cottoned onto the plan and clamped his hands around his opponent's mouth, forcing the swallowing impulse to take effect. Manipulating the air around them, Glenn threw Jace and Ruby back, coughing and spluttering.

"Get back here!" he screeched huskily as he watched Jace pull Ruby away from the clearing, sprinting off into the forest. "You won't get away with this!"

-o-

Natalie awoke with a start, retching into the grass on her side and choking on the sudden rush of air flooding into her lungs. As her eyes focused, she found the coma boy leaning over her and smiling softly when he saw that she was awake.

"You had us going there…" he whispered calmly. "Just take it easy, take your time." Harvey took her hand, helping her to slowly sit up. "You're in Shakespeare's Garden."

"I wasn't earlier," Natalie replied, looking around at the trees. "No willow trees." Over Harvey's shoulder, she could see the bridge where she nearly lost her stele. "Where's my mum? She'll be worried about me."

"It's fine – it's all been taken care of. She's gone to walk around the park."

"What do I tell her when I see her?"

"Leave it with me… Flynn's following close behind. Ruby will be here shortly too."

Natalie stood up, steady on her feet and trying to seem strong in front of Harvey. "At least I still have my stele." She patted her pocket, feeling the thick pen shape that nearly didn't fit the dimensions. "How did you find me?"

Harvey scratched the back of his head, walking backwards towards the path. "I wouldn't be the best person to ask. Ruby is more sociable and heard on the grapevine that you were there. In the seelie court, I mean." He seemed slightly nervous, stuffing his hands in his jacket pocket and avoiding looking at Natalie. "Downworlders- that's the seelies, vampires and wolves – a couple of other species too, they're going to be after you now more than ever. Take those training sessions seriously."

"The queen… She said that I should speak to her friend- that I should look for the golden eye."

"The golden eye?" Harvey murmured, recognising the phrase and thinking something of it. "Oh- Jace?" He backed away from Natalie when he saw Jace striding towards them with Ruby close behind.

Jace grabbed Natalie's arm, pulling her away despite her protests. "Natalie, what were you thinking?" He frowned at his daughter, waiting for a response. "Answer me!"

The girl pulled her lips in, gently pressing her teeth down. "I don't owe you an explanation," she retaliated spitefully. "I guess you felt the same way about your new… _friend. _That we didn't deserve an explanation."

"Come on Natalie, that's not fair."

"No!" Natalie snapped, ignoring the Rosedove twins watching them argue and feeling a lump in her throat as she continued. "You don't get to tell me what's fair and what isn't fair. What isn't fair is how I've been thrown into a world where I can't talk to the one person who means more to me that anything else about it. I can't sleep because the dreams keep coming. My family will never be the same again because you couldn't work on things to the same extent Mum would." The tears rolled off her cheeks. "So don't try and tell me that I'm being unreasonable. I'm not a kid anymore. You say that I should act like a grown up, but you still treat me like a child."

"Nattie…" Jace started. "I made a real mess of things, and you're right. It isn't fair for me to force you to hide this part of your life from Cla- your mother, and I should have been honest with you. Both of you." He dropped his head before looking away from her, further down the path. "You'd like Aurora, if you just gave her the chance."

_Aurora?! _Natalie thought, feeling her ears burn with rage. At that exact moment in time, there was no chance in hell that she would want to give this woman a chance. This was the woman who played a part in breaking her family into three separate pieces.

"I don't ever want to meet her," Natalie winced, wiping the tears away to prove that she wasn't upset about 'Aurora'. "Mum!" She ran around Jace towards Clary. "I'm so sorry for scaring you like that."

Clary kissed her daughter, squeezing her tight. "The main thing is that you are okay." Her eyes met Harvey and Ruby across the way and a look of deep thought crossed her mind.

Ruby was quick to zip up her coat, forcing the collar up to hide her Deflect rune. "Hi Clary," she called out, waving to the other lady. "Sorry we frightened you – I guess it was just a joke in poor taste…"

"It's nice to see you, Ruby. And you Harvey…" Clary's cheek muscles twitched as she smiled at the pair. "Let's go home, Natalie."

Jace reached out for Clary. "Clary, wait."

She looked back at him with a blank expression. There was so much that Clary wanted to say, but she had to put their daughter first. Natalie was the most important thing. Words of anger and sadness would not heal the fractured marriage. Inhaling slowly, Clary gazed deep into Jace's light coloured eyes, trying to stay grounded.

"There's nothing to be said, Jace," Clary replied soothingly. "I have to understand that you and I are just not in the same place that we used to be."

Natalie watched as her mother started to walk away. It was just the three of them now – the Rosedoves made a swift escape before the argument could unfold. The teen's heart was telling her to say something to try and help salvage her parent's relationship. Even though it wasn't her place to say anything, she refused to be the subject of a 'what if I had said something?' scenario.

"Is this really what you want? To walk away from everything you've shared?"

Clary turned back to look at Jace.

Jace stared back at Clary.

Neither one could say a word. They just stood there in silence.

**Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = I wonder what's in store next, will Natalie discover the golden eye?**


End file.
